Preparation of vitamin intermediate



- diates in the preparation of pantothenic acid, a the temperature still being maintained below any other water-soluble cyanides or bisulfites. pantothenic acid compounds as set forth in our Patented Apr. 30, 1946 v i v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PREPARATION OF VITAMIN INTERMEDIATE Elmer J. Lawson and Hervey C. Parke, Detroit,

Mich., assignors to Parke, Davis & Company, A i Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan No Drawing. Original application August 18,

1941, Serial No. 407,358. Divided and this application May 11, 1942, Serial No. 442,536

3 Claims. ((1260- 344) The invention relates to the preparation of of sodium bisulflte in 350 cc. of water is then certain chemical compounds useful as intermeadded'slowly over a period of fifteen minutes,

vitaminof the B complex, and derivatives thereof. 20 C., following which the mixture is stirred for This application is a division 01 our co-pend- 5 another hour, made acidic to Congo red with 500 ing application, Serial No. 407,35 filed August cc. of cone. hydrochloric acid, and allowed to 18, 1941. v stand at room temperature overnight. The mix- More particularly this application relates to ture is evaporated to dryness on a steam bath an improved process for the preparation of a-hyunder diminished pressure, the residue extracted droxy 6, 8-dimethyl'y-butyrolactone. 10 with 600 cc. of acetone, and the undissolved'salts Our process comprises the steps of condensing washed with an additional 200 cc. of acetone. isobutyraldehyde and formaldehyde in the pres- The combined acetone extractions a're concenence of a water-soluble cyanide, reacting the trated on a steam bath and the residue distilled forinoisobutyraldol thusiormed with a water-solunder reduced pressure. After a small foreruh uble cyanide in the presence of a water-soluble consisting mainly of W r. t racemic ybisulflte and hydrolyzing the resulting formoisodroxy-fl,fi-dimethyl-'y-butyrolactone is collected butyraldol cyanohydrin. Water-soluble cyanides at 120-128 C. (14 mm.)

and bisulfite suitable for use in this reaction in- The ra yd y-fifit -vclude the cyanides and bisulfite of the alkali mettyrolactone may be converted into salts of c.1- als such as sodium, potassium; or lithium, and y y-l fifi y acid as Set orth those oi the alkaline earth metals such as calin ur c -p ndi s a a 0- .5 7. cium and barium. However there may be used filed May 1, 2 and m y b converted into The hydrolysis may be achieved in any manner, p n pp on. Serial 407,358. including hydrolysis with alkaline reagents such What we claim as our invention is: as calcium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, or so 1. In a M00858 I Pr n r i ydium hydroxide. However, we prefer to use droxy-fi,fi-dimethyl-w-butyrolactohe, the proceacidic hydrolyzing agents, especially mineral dure which comp ises co de s n substa tia y acids such as sulphuric acid or hydrochloric acid. one molecular equivalent of formaldehyde with After the hydrolysis is complete, we isolate the one of isobutyraldehyd in he presence of subu-hydroxy-p,,s-dimethyi--y-butyrolactone by an stantially one equivalent of aqueous alkaline improved process which comprises evaporating W rl le ya i t in the reaction the aqueous hydrolysate substantially to dryness, mixture thereby obtained with water-soluble hii. e., until substantially water free, extracting Sillfite t0 if the l yr l n th the residue with an inert solvent such as acetone reaction mixture to its cyanhydrin and hydrolyzor dioxane and isolating the lactone from the ing and lactonizing said cyanhydrin by treating extract by distillation, the lactone being obthe reaction mixture with strong mineral acid. tained as a fraction of boiling point approxi- 2. In a. process for preparing racemic m-hymately 120-128 C. at 14 millimeters pressure. droxy-fi,,8-dimethyl-y-butyrolactone, the proce- In the above extraction, solvents other than 40 dure which comprises condensing substantially acetone or dioxane may be used, such as ethone molecular equivalent of formaldehyde with anol, methanol, ethyl methyl ketone, pyridine, one of isobutyraldehyde in the presence of subbenzene, or other solvents which do not react stantialy one equivalent of a strong aqueous soappreciably with the lactone and which are readlution of an alkali metal cyanide, treating the ily separated from it by distillation. reaction mixture thereby obtained with alkali The invention may be further illustrated by metal bisulfite to convert the formolsobutyraldoi the following example: in the reaction mixture to its cyanhydrin and A mixture 01 144 g. of isobutyraldehyde and hydrolyzing and lactonizing said cyanhydrin by cc. of 40% formalin is cooled to 10 C. and stirred 0 treating thereaction mixture with an excess of vigorously while a solution of 137 g. of potassium strong mineral acid. cyanide in 260 cc. of water is added at such a 3. The process for preparing racemic a-hyrate that the temperature does not exceed 20v droXy-fifi-dimethyl-*y-butyrolactone which com- C. The stirring is continued for an hour after prises condensing substantially one molecular the addition is complete. A solution of 208 g. as equivalent of formaldehyde with one of isobutyraldehyde in the presence of substantially one equivalent of aqueous alkaline water-soluble cyanide, treating the reaction mixture thereby obtained with water-soluble bisulflte to convert the iormoisobutyraldol in the reaction mixture to its cyanhydrin, hydrolyzing and lactouizinz said cyanhydrin by treating the reaction mixture with strong mineral acid, evaporating the resulting solution to substantial dryness, extracting the residue with acetone. distilling the extract. and collecting a distillation traction having a boiling point of 120-128 C. at 14 mm. pressure thereby obtaining a-hydroxy-p,p-dimethyl-y-butyrolactone.

ELMER J. LAWSON.

HERVEY C. PARKE. 

